Premature girls face later defects

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Being born prematurely can set off a chain reaction of hormone-
related health problems in girls, doctors have shown.

Those who grow into overweight or obese children are more likely
to exhibit early puberty, a study of 89 children, mostly girls,
treated at Sydney Children's Hospital has found.

That in turn can trigger diabetes and polycystic ovarian
syndrome, a hormone imbalance that can cause infertility.

Later, girls and boys will be at increased risk of heart
disease, said Dr Kristen Neville, who headed the study.

"Prematurity is not as benign as it was thought to be, and not
only for the dangers at birth," Dr Neville said. She cautioned
parents against building the weight of their premature newborns
above normal proportions, saying it could exacerbate their disease
risk.

Doctors had previously linked small birth weight to health
problems into adulthood, but this is the first time the connection
has been made between prematurity and problems linked to childhood
obesity.

The finding has consequences for fertility, especially as more
babies survive prematurity, said Martha Hickey, of the University
of Western Australia.